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The China Policy Institute is a research centre based at the University of Nottingham focusing on all aspects of contemporary China, Taiwan and China's global engagement. The China Policy Institute does not privilege political positions and the views published in Analysis are those of the author.

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Nationalism and national identity in China and beyond

The rise of Chinese nationalism and the potential effects on Chinese foreign policy behaviour have long been a concern, increasingly so since territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas have intensified in recent years. However, China’s neighbourhood has long been noted for its “strategic complexity” and China is not alone among its neighbours in seeking domestic and external advantages in nationalism. To some extent, Russia, Vietnam, Japan, Korea and others find utility in nationalism – whether as a method of strengthening national identity, as a legitimising ideology for the leadership, as a means of pursuing national interests or even of claiming to defend the “existence of the nation”. A recurrent theme is the unsolved historical grievances which continue to be carefully remembered and constructed. However, nationalism is not only problematic for China and its neighbours, but also for the ethnic minorities within China. Ethnic conflicts, especially in Xinjiang and Tibet, force the central Government to balance a “harmonious and unitary” Chinese nationalism and a culturally ethnic diverse nationalism, while minimising economic inequalities among ethnic groups and the Han majority.

This week we have invited several experts to discuss the role of nationalism in China and the role of China in its neighbours nationalistic policies. The contributors are: